Car-coupling



(No Model.)

0. W. DUNCAN.

GAR COUPLING.

No; 417,005. Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

WlT/VESSES: auro/e.-

' ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

(IIARLES 'W. DUNCAN, OF S". LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,005, dated December 10, 1889.,

Application filed September 27, 1889. Serial No. 825,241. (No model.)

I!) all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. DUNCAN, of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Car-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invent-ion relates to car-couplings, and has for its object to provide a simple, eiiicient, inexpensive, and durable coupling of this ch aracter which will automatically couple two cars and may be quickly and easily uncoupled, all without requiring train-men to go between the cars and expose themselves to injury.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the car-coupling, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of two of my improved car-couplings shown coupled, and with the draw-heads partly in horizontal section on the line a: so in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is aside view of the two couplings partly in vertical sec tion on the line y y in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view of one of the couplings, taken on the line .2 .2 in Fig. 2.

I particularly describe one of the couplings as follows: I show the coupling mechanism fitted in an ordinary draw-head A, adapted for attachment to the frame or platform of either a freight or passenger car. This drawhead has the usual cavity a, which is flared or bell-mouthed at the front and contains the principal operative parts of the coupling. These consist of a pair of opposing springpressed couplingjaws B B, which are preferably formed of spring-metal plates 1) b, which at their inner ends are fixed to the opposite side walls of the draw-head cavity and at their outer ends are provided with opposing hook-heads C C, the outer faces of which are inclined or rounded inward toward the lateral cent-er of the draw-head. The heads have square or nearly square rear shoulders adapted to engage the hook or ar row-shaped head of a coupling-bar, presently explained. Springs D D are preferably set behind the coupling-jaws to hold them in normal coupling position or to prevent their heads from jarring or springing laterally outward away from the coupling-bar when. the coupling is quickly effected. These coupling-jaw re-enforcing springs D D may be held to the jaw-plates b b to bear against the drawhead; but I show them held at the center to the side walls of the draw-head and hearing by opposite ends on the coupling-jaws. (See Fig. 1 of the drawings.)

On the rod or shaft E, which is held transversely in the draw-head and across its cavity a, is held the back or inner end of a coupling-bar F, which is held normally in about horizontal position at the center of the draw- 7 head cavity by a spring (preferably a spiral sprin G, which is connected at one end to the coupling-bar and at the other end to the top wall of the draw-head. The coupling-bar extends forward beyond the front of the drawhead and at its outer end is formed with an arrow-shaped head H, the point of which is adapted to enter between and press apart the hook-heads C C of the jaws B B of the opposing coupler until the jaw-heads look behind the shoulders h h of the coupling-bar head. This head also has a vertical hole I, through which the ordinary pin of a common coupler may be passed to allow a car having such coupling to be coupled with another car provided with my improved coupling.

In the draw-head cavity is placed loosely an uncoupling bar or slide J, which has an angular or wedge-shaped forward end, and at its .rear part is provided with a slot j, through which passes into a lengthwise slot a, formed in or through the floor of the draw-head, the lower end 7c of a lever K, which also passes through a slot a in the top wall of the drawhead and is fulcrumed bya pin to lugs a a on the draw-head. That portion 70 of the lever K which works between the slide J and the top of the draw-head is bent laterally to cause it to clear the coupling-bar F and its sustaining-spring G. In practice this lever K may or will have lateral extension or side pieces, or will be connected rigidly to a rod ranging across the car body or front to allow the lever to be operated to adjust the slide J from either side of the car and without compelling the traiu-men to stand between the cars and expose themselves to injury. It will be noticed that the entrance of ,the lower end of the lever K into the draw-head slot at steadies the lever and uncoupling-slide laterally and maintains the slide in proper position.

The operation of my invention is very simple and effective, as follows: In normal uncoupled position the slides J of the couplings will be drawn back within the draw-heads and the coupling-jaws B B will have the positions shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. As the two cars having my couplings approach each other the head H of the coupling-bar F of each coupling will enter between the hoolcheads C C of the opposing coupling and spread the coupling-jaws until the coupling-bar heads pass behind the coupling-jaw heads, whereupon the jaws spring inward again and complete the coupling of the two cars by standing in front of the shoulders 71. of the couplingbar heads II, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

To uncouple the cars, it is only necessary to operate the lever K of one of the couplings to thrust the uncoupling-slide J forward between the opposite heads 0 C of the jaws of this coupling and also between the opposite headsof the jaws of the other coupling, which releases the coupling-bars of both couplings and allows the cars to be drawn apart. If desired, the levers K of both coupled couplings may be operated to advance their slides J to effect uncoupling of the cars. It will also be noticed that when-the slides J of both couphugs are moved forward to hold the couplingaws widely separated the cars may be bumped one against the other in shifting them onto sidings or about the yard in making up trains without coupling the cars.

While the coupling and uncoupling mechanisms are shown and particularly described as fitted within an ordinary draw-head connected to a longitudinally-yielding draw-bar, this mechanism may be fitted directlybetween the dead-block bumpers of cars or into any other suitable casing on the truck or body of the car, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A car-coupling constructed with two laterally-yielding headed coupling-jaws, an arrow-headed coupling-bar projecting between the jaws, and an uncoupling slide or bar adapted, when thrust forward, to separate the jaws for uncoupling, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a car-coupling, of a draw-head or casing, two coupling-jaws B C therein, a transverse shaft E, an arrow-headed coupling-bar F II on the shaft, and an uncoupling slide or bar J in the draw-head adapted to separate the jaws, substantially as herein set forth.

The combination, in a car-coupling, of a draw-head orcasing, two coupling-jaws, an arrow-headed coupling-bar, and an uncoupling slide or bar-held therein, and a lever actuating the slide, substantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination, in a car-coupling, of a d raw-head or casing having slots a a opposing coupling-jaws and an arrow-headed coupling-bar in the draw-head, an uncoupling slide or bar J, provided with a slot j, and a lever K, fulcrumed to the draw-head and entering the slots a j a of the draw-head and slide, substantially as herein set forth. 7

5, In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head or casing, of two coupling-jaws B O, springs D, re-enforcing them, a shaft E, a couplingbar F on said shaft, a spring G, sustaining the bar, an uncoupling-slide J in the draw-head, and a lever K actuating said slide, all constructed and arranged for operation substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

CHARLES DUNCAN.

'Witnesses:

BERNHARD A. MUELLER, MoA. CHANDLER. 

